Abstract
Based on long-term collaborative ethnographic fieldwork in a shantytown called Flammable (real name) located in Argentina, this article examines residents' perceptions of their highly polluted surroundings. Using a case study to explore the relationship between objective space and subjective representations (habitat and habitus), the article a) describes the widespread confusion that dominates shantytown dwellers' views of contamination, and b) argues that this confusion translates into self-doubts, division, stigma, and a continual waiting time. The article ends with an empirically grounded speculation regarding the sources of toxic uncertainty.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
